More students on track to graduate in Chicago!

Chicago is seeing sustained gains in the number of students successfully attaining their high school diplomas. Only a decade ago, 50% of the high school population in Chicago Public Schools dropped out of the system. Now, thanks to earlier educational interventions, and the dedication and support of countless education professionals, parents, caregivers, and community members, Chicago has seen a dramatic increase in graduation rates to 65.4%, up nearly 4% over last year and more than 15% from just a decade ago. CPS reports that 82% of all high school students are on track to graduate. This steady growth demonstrates that progress can be made, and that together, we can make it happen!

While the increase in high school graduates is encouraging, there is still a lot of work to do. More than 30% of Chicago’s population will not earn a diploma. There’s still a long way to go. With improved strategies to reach at-risk students and consistent guidance of caring, supportive adults, all of Chicago’s youth will be American Graduates.

About the American Graduate Initiative

American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen! is a public media initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help local communities across America find solutions to address the dropout crisis. This initiative builds on public media’s long-standing commitment to education.

"By spotlighting the problem and convening and helping to align the efforts of other nonprofit partners, we hope to build on public media's trust in our community, and have a collective — and positive — impact." – Dan Schmidt, President & CEO, WTTW11

WTTW, along with CPB and America’s Promise Alliance, are working to raise awareness and deepen community engagement around the dropout crisis. Through informative television programs, resources on this website, and special segments on our flagship nightly newsmagazine Chicago Tonight, WTTW will build awareness of what individuals and organizations are doing to help increase positive outcomes for Chicago's youth. Together, we will dispel the myth that this problem is too big to solve and ensure that students stay on the path to high school graduation. Let’s make it happen!